Fire-hydrant.



E. L. DELANY.

PIRE HYDRANT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s1, 1911.

Patented Mar. 10, 19ML l v E Wm |v|| .l N\\\\\ l I ...wreu

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. DDLANY, or New YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-HYDRANT.

To all fr0/wm 'it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD L. DELANY, ofthe city of New York, State of New York, have invented ceitain new anduseful Improvements in Fire-l-Iydrants; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of fire hydrants having means forexhausting from the casing the column of water that remains between thevalve andthe nozzle after the valve is closed, thus avoiding freezing inthe casing.

My invention is also adapted to preventing leakage accumulating in thecasing and contemplates operating an appropriate signal when a seriousleak exists.

A device embodying my improvements may be attached to the ordinaryhydrants in general use.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a form in whichthe invention may be embodied. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the indicator.

Referring to the drawing 1 designates the hydrant casing of the usual orany preferred form extending approximately two feet above ground andfour feet beneath and having a nozzle 2 for hose attachment.

3 designates the valve and 4 the stem extending upward through andbeyond the top of the casing.

My improvement comprehends a trap or basin placed under ground, inconimunication at its top with the lower portion of the hydrant casingand having an outlet at its bottom leading to a sewer.

5 designates the trap. As shown it coniprises a housing 6 having twoopenings 7 8, in its top, and a casing 9 leading from a port 10 in thevalve casing 1, the casing 9 being adapted to be bolted to the housing 6and having two branches 12, 13, branch 12 registering with opening 8 ofthe housing and branch 13 extending about three feet down into thehousing through opening 7. Communication between casing 9 and the trap 5through branches 12 and 13 is controlled by valves 14 and 15 having acom mon stem 16;

I have shown the part 13 formed at its Specification of Letters Patent.

` Application iiled March 31, 1911.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914. Serial No. 618,159.

lower end with a lateral extension 17 having guides 1S in which a block19 is movable and constitutes the fulcrum for a lever 20 secured at oneend to stem 16 and having an upright arm 21 at its other end carrying avalve 22 seated in a port formed in the top wall of the extension 17 andopening outward when stem 16 lowers. The block 19, being movable in theguides, may be adjusted, as by a pin 23, at any desired point in thelength of lever 20.

The casing 9 is shown provided interiorly with a depending bracket 24 onwhich is fulcrumed a check valve 25 adapted to swing and allow water toi'iow past it from the hydrant casing 1 toward the trap 5 but preventingflow in the opposite direction. Also fulcrumed on the bracket 24 I haveshown a lever arm 26 weighted at its rear end, as by an adjustable nut27, and having its forward end extended a short distance into casing 1and preferably formed with a widened and curved extremity 28. The leverarm is connected with valve stem 16 by links 29 and 30, the link 29being fulcrumed on casing 9 as at 3l.

The normal position of lever arm 26 when the hydrant is not in use, isshown in full lines, the arm lying substantially horizontal, with itscurved extremity 28 projecting into casing l, and, through links 29, 30,holding valve stem 16 lowered and valves 14, 15 and 22 unseated.

The housing 6 is provided with an outlet pipe 33 shown leading throughthe bottom of the housing and adapted to connect with a sewer pipe. Thepipe 33 extends well up into the housing and is formed with a port 34near the bottom of the housing. A siphon 35 is shown in the outlet pipe,its bend being above the top of the pipe and its short leg extendingdown into the basin. A float 36 is mounted on a rod 37 pivoted near thebottom of the trap. This rod is provided with a pinion 38 meshing with agear wheel 39 keyed on the lower end of a shaft 40 within a rigid sleeve41, the shaft and its sleeve extending to any point of the hydrantcasing above ground, as 42. The sleeve may carry any suitable sign, asthe word Leak which will be visible through a slot in the cap on the endof the shaft when the latter is partially rotated consequent upon therise of ioat 36.

In practice, as valve 3 is operated to obtain a flow of water from thehydrant, the Y pressure on valve 14 when the column of water in thehydrant extends above the lower wall of the nozzle, will hold valve 14seated as against the pressure of the water acting on valves 15 and 22.vWhen, however, valve 3 is closed and the water level in the hydrant 1falls to, or below, the lower wall of nozzle 2, then the pressure actingon valve 14 will be lessened and will be overcome by the pressure onvalves 15 and 22. Thus under a trap 5 is held closed, while thecessation of flow opens the trap and allows the water to pass through itfrom the hydrant. I-Ience lever arm 26 in not a necessary element but itmaterially aids the operation as it tends to overcome the balance of thevalves. When water is iiowing from the hydrant, pressure against thecurved extremity 28 of the lever arm 26 will swing the arm to theposition shown in dotted lines, also swinging link 29 and elevating stem16 to close valves 14, 15 and 22. Vhen, however, the flow of water fromthe hydrant is discontinued, by closing valve 3, the upward pressurepreviously exerted on arm 26 ceases, and the flow of the column of waterdownward in the hydrant presses the end 23 of arm 26 downward andunseats the valves, allowing the water to pass from the hydrant tocasing 9 and basin 5 and thence to the sewer, thus completely emptyingthe hydrant. This rush of water into the basin cannot pass through thesmall outlet 34 at once and hence it will overfiow the upper end of'pipe 33 and reach the height of' the bend in the siphon when the basinwill be quickly drained. The rise and fall of the float 36 is so quicklyaccomplished that the momentary display of the signal at 42 isunimportant.

TvVhen the hydrant is not in use there may exist a slight leakage atvalve 3 and this will pass to the casing 9 and branch 13. As it fillsthe latter and extension 17, its weight will unseat valves 15 and 22against the retarding influence of arm 26, and the water will passthrough outlet 34 without collecting in the basin. When, however, aserious leak occurs at valve 3 and the water enters the basin fasterthan it can exhaust through port 34 the water will rise to the height ofpipe 33 and then pass into the latter. The rise of the water elevatesthe float and partially rotates shaft 40 to display the signal and thesignal will remain in view while the float remains elevated as shown indotted lines. In this connection it will be noted that the bend of theSiphon is well above the pipe 33 so that any collection of water whichcan be carried off by the pipe will hold the float at the. elevation ofthe top of the pipe without causing the siphonic action.

flow of water from the hydrant the The purpose of the valve 22 and itsconnections with the stem 16 is to insure the proper actions resultingfrom the differences in pressures on valves 14, 15 and 22. The averageheight of the hydrant casing 1 from port 10 to nozzle 2 is about fivefeet. Assuming that branch 13 is three feet in length, the relativesizes of valves 14, 15 and 22 may readily be determined in order tocontrol the pressures. It may occur, however, that in adapting thedevice to larger hydrants valve 14 may not be of the required relativearea. If it be too small, for instance, so that the pressure upon itwould be overcome by that acting on valves 15 and 22 before the watersupply reached the full height of the hydrant, then by adjusting thefulcrum block 19 at the position shown the tendency of the pressureacting on valve 22 to overcome that acting on valve 14 will be reduced,whereas if valve 14 should be of too great an area block 19 may be movednearer to stem 16 thus increasing the leverage on the valve stem.

I claim as my invention 1. In a lire hydrant, the combination with ahydrant casing having a valve, of a trap in communication with the lowerend of said casing, a valve in said trap, means aut-omatically actuatedon closing said first mentioned valve'for opening the valve in said trapfor conducting water remaining in said casing through said trap to anoutlet, and means cont-rolled by the pressure of the outflowing waterthrough said casing for closing the valve in said trap for preventingloss of water through the latter when said hydrant valve is open.

2. In a fire hydrant, the combination with the hydrant casing having avalve, of a trap in communication with said casing and adapted toreceive water leaking past said valve, means for preventing back fiowfrom said trap, a signal at or near the top of said hydrant, and meansactuated by the rise of water in said trap Jfor operating said signal.

3. The combination with a hydrant, of a trap, a pipe leading from thehydrant casing to said trap, a valve in said pipe, a lever arm fulcrumedin said pipe having a widened portion extending into the path of' thewater flowing through said hydrant, said widened portion being atright-angles to such path so as to be actuated thereby, and connectionsbetween said valve and said arm for opening and closing said valve forthe purpose stated.

4. The combination with the hydrant, of a trap connected with saidhydrant near the base thereof and adapted to drain said hydrant when theflow of water therethrough is discontinued, said trap having an outletpipe vertically disposed therein, a port being formed in said pipe nearthe bottom of said trap, and a siphon in said pipe having Ica its bendabove the top thereof and its short leg extending into said trap, forthe purpose stated.

5. The combination with the hydrant, of a trap connected with saidhydrant near t-he base thereof and adapted to drain said hydrant whenthe iloW of Water therethrough is discontinued, said trap having anoutlet pipe vertically disposed therein, a port being formed in saidpipe near the bottom of said trap, a signal on said hydrant, a float insaid trap, and means actuated by the rise of said lioat to the height ofsaid outlet pipe for actuating said signal.

6. The combination With the hydrant and the trap at the base thereof, ofa casing on said trap in communication With said hydrant, said casinghaving a depending branch extending into said trap and having a secondbranch communicating with said trap and leading from said casing at apoint in line with said former branch, a valve for each of said brancheshaving a common stem, a lever arm fulorumed in said casing and extendinginto said hydrant, and links connect-ing said valve stem with said arm,for the purpose stated.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof tWo subscriblng Witnesses.

EDl/V. L. DELANY. Witnesses:

GRAFTON L. MCGILL, FRANCES STREIT.

copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner ot Patents, Washington, D. C.

